Thursday of Week 29 in Ordinary Time

Imagine there was a big book that could capture the stories of everyone who has ever made a difference in this world. Do you think your name would be in that book?

Believe it or not, it would be. Whether you recognize it or not, we are all important players in the game of life. We all have key roles in the unfolding of God’s master plan. Simply by being who we are, we are changing history. Our words, our actions, our choices, our behaviour, our attitudes are all helping to shape other people and their perception of God. Even our prayers are changing the world.

It can be hard to fathom this truth. If we’re not careful, it can even make us feel a little bit defeated. We may look at our faults and failings and worry that we are making the wrong kind of mark on history. How can we ever advance God’s plan when we spend so much time and effort dealing with our own mistakes and weaknesses?

Saint Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians today urges us not to worry, because there is a mighty power at work within us. Saint Paul tells us that if we try our best to connect with the Holy Spirit every day, we will be able to “accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine”

Pope Francis echoes Saint Paul’s encouragement in his Apostolic Exhortation ‘The Joy of the Gospel’. He writes: “To believe that the Holy Spirit is at work in everyone means realizing that he seeks to penetrate every human situation and all social bonds.” The pope reminds us that: “evangelization is meant to cooperate with this liberating work of the Spirit” (178).

God needs people in our little corner of the world, and at this particular time in history. God has placed us here for a reason. He knows what we are all capable of doing. Even in our imperfections, we are still the perfect fit for the work God has asked us to do. If we become the instruments God has created us to be, and if we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, then we can do so much to change the world.